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The Front Page
Paperback
ISBN13: 9781025671802
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 210
Weight: 0.66
Height: 0.44 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
The Front Page is a seminal American play that captures the frantic, high-stakes world of 1920s journalism. Written by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, both former Chicago newspapermen, the work is celebrated for its rapid-fire dialogue, cynical wit, and gritty depiction of the press. The story centers on Hildy Johnson, a star reporter who is determined to quit the business and get married, only to be lured back by his manipulative editor, Walter Burns, when a high-profile execution and a jailbreak shake the city.
Set entirely within the press room of the Chicago Criminal Courts Building, the play explores the ethical boundaries-or lack thereof-in the pursuit of a scoop. It offers a scathing yet affectionate look at the hard-drinking, fast-talking reporters of the era, whose primary loyalty is to the headline rather than the truth. As a masterpiece of the comedy-drama genre, The Front Page redefined the portrayal of media in popular culture and served as the blueprint for the screwball comedy. Its influence remains profound, having inspired numerous adaptations and establishing the definitive archetype of the relentless investigative journalist.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
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